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After the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City Liverpool’s manager defended the statements put out earlier by the club and the Uruguayan player over his eight-match FA ban

The following is a transcript from the Liverpool press conference after the Anfield club’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City on Tuesday night:

Reporter: “Kenny, the wider world is pretty shocked that, if a player can call someone ‘negro’ and the player who is the victim in this takes offence, that there is no apology or contrition offered from your club.”

Dalglish: “I would have thought that, if you pronounced the word properly, you maybe understand it better. I think it was Spanish he was speaking and I don’t think you were speaking Spanish there.”

Reporter: “OK, if a player calls someone ‘negro’ [Spanish pronunciation], surely the player who takes offence deserves an apology?”

Dalglish: “Ask a linguistic expert, which certainly I am not. They will tell you that the part of the country in Uruguay where he [Luis Suárez] comes from, it is perfectly acceptable. His wife calls him that and I don’t think he is offended by her. We have made a statement and I think it is there for everybody to read. Luis has made a brilliant statement and we will stand by him.”

Reporter: “But the FA verdict said it was ’simply incredible’ to suggest it wasn’t used in an offensive way when they were clearly arguing and it wasn’t friendly.”

Dalglish: “There’s a lot of things we’d like to say and a lot we could say but we would only get ourselves in trouble. We are not trying to be evasive … well, we are being evasive because we don’t like getting ourselves in trouble. But we know what has gone on. We know what is not in the report and that’s important for us. So without me getting ourselves in trouble, I think that’s it finished.”

Reporter: “Why take the ban now and not play the next three games, including the Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester City?”

Dalglish: “He could have played for a fortnight but he has to serve eight games at some stage and this time is as good as any, isn’t it? It was better to get the situation over and done with.”

Reporter: “Mark Lawrenson was saying on the radio that you’ve got to fear now whether Suárez may feel unsettled playing in England. Is that a concern?”

Dalglish: “Because Mark Lawrenson said it? No. I don’t see why we have to reply to anybody. If you’re asking if I have any concern about Luis playing in England, then no.”

Reporter: “Is he strong enough?”

Dalglish: “I don’t have a problem with Luis playing in England.”

Reporter: “Do you regret wearing the T-shirts?”

Dalglish: “You see, if one of you guys were in trouble, would you help him? Would you support him if you knew the truth and you knew it was right? Would you support him?”

Reporter: “But not with T-shirts when he has been found guilty …”

Dalglish: “Why not? If they want to show their support for their team-mate, what’s wrong with that? It was a fabulous statement to make visually of their support for a guy who is endeared in the dressing room, one of their closest friends in the dressing room, and all of his friends in the dressing room can speak up adequately and perfectly well for him. And I think it is very dangerous and unfortunate that you don’t actually know the whole content of what went on at the hearing. I’m not prepared, and I can’t say it, but I am just saying it is really unfortunate you never got to hear it. That’s all I’m saying.”

Reporter: “Kenny, given how the wider public are so opposed to your view, what do you have to lose by telling us and revealing what you’re saying was not included in the FA statement?”

Dalglish: “It’s up to the club to decide what they want to do.”

Reporter: “But if you have something to say, surely say it – because the alternative is you are digging a bigger hole for yourself?”

Dalglish: “I don’t think we are digging a bigger hole but I just think it’s unfortunate we can’t be more forthcoming. That’s the unfortunate thing.”

Reporter: “In your two statements you basically accused the FA of a conspiracy against your club.”

Dalglish: “So they have made a statement then …”

Liverpool press officer intervenes and asks for no more questions on Suárez.

Reporter: “The hearing was to lay out all the evidence, 115 pages of evidence, and you have said they [the FA] have done it subjectively. So why do you think the FA are targeting Liverpool and Suárez?”

Dalglish: “Maybe wrong place, wrong time. It could have been anybody. I can’t answer for the FA, you ask them.”

Reporter: “You think there is an agenda against Liverpool?”

Dalglish: “No. You said that. I never. You get yourself in trouble, I’m all right.”

Reporter: “Are you concerned Suárez’s first game back could be at Old Trafford?”

Dalglish: “I’ll just be delighted to get him back.”

LiverpoolKenny DalglishLuis SuárezThe FADaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk

No one would put money on Manchester City, Liverpool or Aston Villa taking advantage of any slip-ups by Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur were celebrating more than a place in the FA Cup semi-finals on Wednesday night. News of Manchester City’s defeat to Everton and Aston Villa’s draw at home to Sunderland had reached the players “as soon as we got in the dressing room”, according to Peter Crouch. Moments later, their rivals for fourth place in the Premier League were installing Spurs as the new frontrunners in a race that has started to resemble a crawl.

“Spurs are favourites now,” said Manchester City’s Micah Richards. “We thought we could capitalise on our game in hand but it didn’t work out that way and we were devastated in the dressing room. What we have to do now is make sure that we use the loss as a springboard. We have eight cup finals and we have to win them all, starting against Wigan on Monday night.”

The reality, however, is that City – whose manager Roberto Mancini was sent off along with his Everton counterpart David Moyes following a confrontation near the end of Wednesday’s defeat – are unlikely to need anything like 24 points to seize the final Champions League qualifying berth. Tottenham are playing with confidence after four successive Premier League wins but back-to-back fixtures against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United next month threaten to derail their progress. “We’ve got some big games coming up so it could be a defining month,” admitted Crouch.

Not that anyone would want to put money on City, Liverpool or Villa taking advantage of any slip-ups from Harry Redknapp’s team between now and the end of the season. City and Liverpool have won only two of their last six league matches, meaning they sit 10th and 13th in the top-flight form guide, while Villa have recorded just three victories from a run of 10 games unbeaten since the turn of the year.

“There are a few teams up and down at the minute,” reflected Villa’s Stewart Downing. “Man City were getting results and now they’ve lost. We were on a great run and we’ve drawn a few. There are a lot of twists and turns still to go and we’ve still got to play Everton and Man City, teams around us, so I think it is wide open. Whoever puts two or three wins together will be in a good position.”

Villa had hoped successive victories would arrive from two home matches in the space of five days, against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland, but instead there was only frustration. A lack of attacking options has been exposed in the absence of the injured Gabriel Agbonlahor, with Martin O’Neill forced to introduce two academy graduates, Marc Albrighton and Nathan Delfouneso, against Wolves and Sunderland.

The contrast with Tottenham is stark. Against Fulham, Redknapp brought on David Bentley, Tom Huddlestone and Roman Pavlyuchenko to turn the game in Spurs’ favour while on Saturday, at Stoke, Eidur Gudjohnsen scored one goal and set up another after stepping off the bench. That strength in depth not only allows Redknapp to freshen things up but also lets him rotate his players when Tottenham’s lengthy injury-list eases.

O’Neill has never felt able to do likewise and Villa are now paying the price. Downing admitted the players “were out on our feet” at the end against Sunderland. James Milner and Emile Heskey both departed with achilles problems and others were playing through the pain barrier. “Richard Dunne was struggling all week and James Collins is struggling – basically half the team is struggling but they all want to play,” said Downing.

O’Neill highlighted City’s strength and depth as a reason for his belief that they have the best chance to finish fourth but that was before Roberto Mancini’s side were vanquished by Everton, when shortcomings at both ends of the pitch were exposed in between a dust-up on the touchline with David Moyes. The next three fixtures offer a chance to get back on track but thereafter City take on Manchester United, Arsenal, Villa and Spurs before heading to Upton Park on the final day.

Whether Liverpool, who have been a model of inconsistency this season, will still be in the mix then remains to be seen. For the moment at least all eyes are on Tottenham after another night when two of the top-four contenders flattered to deceive. “Seeing that Manchester City lost is obviously a big boost for us,” added Crouch. “But it’s still down to us: we need to get the points on the board starting with Portsmouth on Saturday. But I still think it’ll go right down to the wire.”

Premier LeagueManchester CityTottenham HotspurAston VillaLiverpoolStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk